


The Underworld

by aggiepuff



Series: Ten Years [2]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Found Family, Girl Power, Kagome is The Shikon Miko, Political Intrigue, Slow Burn, redeemed Kikyo, trying to pass the bechdel test
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2020-07-27 14:31:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20047612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aggiepuff/pseuds/aggiepuff
Summary: Kagome has officially rejoined youkai society, taking up the mantle of Shikon Miko and claiming her seat on The Council that governs them all. Now if only she could figure out her personal relationships...





	1. The Luncheon

**Part 1: The Luncheon**

Kagome could hear the jabbering shriek as she exited the elevator. She was unsurprised as she rounded the corner to find a tiny, toadlike man with a sharp, beaklike nose, skin tinged a sickly green, squawking at a young man. 

“Jaken,” she barked, “leave him alone.”

Kikyo’s personal secretary turned grateful eyes on Kagome. 

Jaken glared at her with bulbous yellow eyes he couldn’t disguise even beneath a glamour. Unfortunately for him, Kagome was the Shikon Miko, a title that made her equal to Sesshomaru, the Lord of Japan himself. Only another Cardinal Lord could order her about and they had all returned to their homelands last week.

“Thanks,” Choki sighed, “my ears were beginning to bleed.”

Kagome gave him a grin. 

“Insolent human,” Jaken squawked.

“Jaken,” Kagome said sharply, “why are you here?”

Jaken’s eyes narrowed but he answered, “Lord Sesshomaru needs to speak with Lady Kikyo immediately.”

Kagome sighed. “Jaken, you and I both know if Sesshomaru needed to speak to Kikyo right this minute he’d either call her or come down here himself. As it is, she has a prior engagement. Please schedule whatever meeting Sesshomaru needs with Choki then go back to your desk.”

Jaken didn’t answer and Kagome didn’t wait. She slipped past a grinning Choki and entered Kikyo’s office.

Kikyo had a corner office on the 20th floor of Taisho Tower. It was decorated in pristine, modern white with artful splashes of red to add a touch of color. The woman herself sat at her sleek desk, typing on a white computer. She glanced up when Kagome entered and smiled. “One minute.”

Kagome nodded. “Sure.”

While she waited for Kikyo to finish whatever she was doing as the Taisho Inc’s CFO, Kagome began unpacking the take out from the American Bistro around the corner. 

Kikyo clicked something on her screen then stood with a sigh. “Done.”

Kagome shot her a grin. “What was it today?”

“Auditors,” Kikyo said with a sigh, flopping down into the white leather armchair next to the couch. “What’d you get?”

“Buffalo wings for you with honey BBQ sauce; steak for Ayame, rare, with potatoes; and a hickory burger with cheese and curly fries for me.” Kagome sat back, happily munching on a fry as Kikyo opened her styrofoam box.

“So, just us three?” Kikyo asked.

Kagome nodded. “Yeah. Sango had some HR emergency. When she called I could hear someone crying in the background. And Rin is in Barcelona for that photoshoot.”

“What about Azumi and Moira or Misaki?”

Kagome grinned. After The Summit Moira had been adopted into the family, to the poor Selkie’s discomfort. “They can’t make it. Azumi and Misaki are in the middle of some biomedical conference-symposium thing Tomachi Tech is hosting and Moira is back in Ireland for the week with her family.”

Kikyo swallowed a bite of chicken wing, unaware of the smear of honey BBQ sauce on her cheek. “Moira went back to Ireland?”

Kagome nodded, taking a bit of her burger. “Yeah,” she said, swallowing. “Apparently there’s a big festival for her favorite author--Bloomsday Festival, I think.”

“The what, festival?” Ayame asked, closing the door behind her. 

“Bloomsday Festival,” Kikyo answered. She nudged the last unopened container. “Kags got you steak.”

Ayame smiled. “Wonderful.” She plopped onto the couch beside Kagome and dug into her steak, claws extended, fangs out.

Kagome ignored the way the redhead in her designer pencil skirt and blouse ate her bloody steak like it was fingerfood. Instead, she took another note of her burger and hummed happily. 

In the six months since reuniting with her family Sango had instituted monthly, girls-only lunches. Only twice had all eight of them been able to attend, the usual number being about three or four, but it was a good thing. Misaki and Azumi especially seemed to enjoy these lunches. They loved hearing stories of their father's and mother's antics in the past. Azumi also seemed to take a perverse pleasure in reminding her older sister that she'd known the Shikon Miko longer. As an older sibling, Kagome sympathized with Misaki and went out of her way to bond with the _ ookami-youkai _.

On days like today, however, Kagome was secretly glad it was just her, Kikyo, and Ayame. She had serious questions that required serious answers given by those with experience.

Something jostled her leg gently and Kagome looked up. "What?"

Kikyo rolled her eyes. "I said, you've got your questions look on. What's wrong?"

"Oh." Kagome bit her lip. "Nothing's wrong, per se," she said, "it's just...it's been six months and I...I don't know. I guess I thought…"

Kikyo and Ayame exchanged looks. 

"You thought you'd be climbing Sesshomaru like a tree by now?"

Kagome turned scarlet. "That not what I meant! I--"

Kikyo giggled. "Kags, it's okay. Honestly, we all thought you two would be a lot farther in your courtship by now."

Kagome blinked wide eyes. "So it's not just me?"

Ayame snorted. "No, it's not just you. But why ask us?"

"Well, because you're a full _ youkai _ . You know how _ youkai _ courtship is supposed to go. And you, Kikyo, you're mated to InuYasha. If anyone knows how to get an _ inu-youkai _'s attention, it's you."

Kikyo gave her a dubious look. “You do realize neither of our courtships were typical, right?”

Ayame snorted. “You can say that again. I was betrothed to Kouga without ever meeting him and then when I did go to find him he literally ran away.”

“And let’s not forget my epic romance for the ages,” Kikyo drawled. 

Kagome flushed. “Right, sorry. But still, you two know _ youkai _ mating rituals. Is there something I should be doing?”

“Well,” Ayame sighed, leaning back on the couch, “have you considered just doing what you want, screw societal expectations?”

“What I want?”

Kikyo nodded, a gleam in her brown eyes. “Yes, exactly. Do what you want and ignore the mating rituals. You’re the Shikon Miko. If you can’t break social conventions, who can?”

“So, if you want to climb him like a tree…”

Kagome flushed.


	2. The Flowers

**Part 2: The Flowers**

“You’re a fucking oxymoron.”

Sesshomaru’s eyebrow twitched and he shot a golden eyed glare at his infuriating half-brother.

InuYasha scowled. “Don’t look at me like that. You know I’m right.”

“You are never right, half-breed.”

InuYasha snorted. “Whatever.”

Sesshomaru suppressed a snarl. He lost his patience only when it was deserved. Like when the mutt and the flea bitten wolf wouldn’t shut up. Or when some lord or lady whined about some policy or another. It wasn’t oxymoronic that he lost his patience when it was deserved and kept it in the hunt. And he was in the hunt. Courting his _ miko _ was the most important hunt of his life. 

He watched InuYasha leave his office, the door opening so he caught sight of Jaken at his desk outside his office. He considered the little toad. 

The imp was in the perfect position to run errands. Running errands was, in fact, part of his job description. But Sesshomaru's gut twisted at the thought of sending the other _ youkai _ after a courting gift. Courting gifts were precious, personal things. Treasures meant to be kept through the entirety of his mate’s life. The choosing could not be shunted off on another.

Sesshomaru stood, sweeping across his office. He was done with work for the day. 

* * *

Kagome stepped into her small, one bedroom apartment with a grateful sigh. She didn't know what about children ensured inevitable injury but by the gods she wished there was a cure.

Not that Kagome was complaining about her job. Far from it. She loved being the school nurse at the Tsuki Academy for Gifted Youth, colloquially known as Shikon Academy, S.A.for short. 

Unbeknownst to her, even if Moira hadn't come up to her at the Akai Inu Bar, she would have discovered the _ youkai _ world eventually once she started her new job. The new job that moved her halfway across the city from her family's shrine and away from the protective cloud of magic that guarded the Bone Eater's Well. The new job that was, coincidentally, at Tokyo's premier private school for Underworld children. Who knew?

Unfortunately, that meant _ everyone _ seemed to know what happened at The Summit. At first it was daunting. The staff and students stared at her in equal measure. Her second day, the head of the history department came to her office and practically begged that she talk to the students about her experience in the past. Several _ kitsune _ preschoolers faked headaches to ask if it was true she was Shippo- _ sama _ ’s mother. A clique of mean girl _ miko _ tried to overpower her with their combined _ reiki _ and Kagome wouldn’t have even noticed if a 5th grade otter- _ youkai _ hadn’t screamed and cried. The girls were suspended for a month and the 5th grader was unharmed but Kagome realized - then felt stupid for not considering the possibility - that not everyone believed she had joined the Underworld and some that did believe were not happy about it. 

On the bright side, however, the principal let her run the clinic as she wanted, where he bullied the previous nurse, if rumor was to be believed. And Shippo’s wonderfully mischievous children,, Akio and Kagome, attended S.A. Of course, they called her _ Obaa-san _ which she wasn’t sure she liked, but she figured it was a fair trade for the way they smiled at her.

Kagome ran a hand through her hair, shoving back bangs that were a touch too long. It was Wednesday. Wednesday was usually oden night. She had some leftovers from family dinner on Sunday.

She was just opening the fridge when a knock thudded on her front door. She grumbled but went to open the door anyway.

Moira stood on the other side, wringing her hands, short brown hair windswept. She shoved past Kagome before the _ miko _ could ask what the Selkie wanted.

“Come right in,” Kagome muttered, closing the door.

Moira didn’t seem to hear. She paced the short width of Kagome’s living room, still wringing her hands, green eyes glittering and overbright, almost manic. 

Kagome eyed her but stayed silent, waiting to see what the shorter woman wanted.

Finally, Moira turned on Kagome and blurted, “I kissed Azumi!”

Kagome’s eyebrow ticked up, a smile quirking up the corner of her mouth. “That’s it? I thought something was wrong.”

Moira gaped at her.”That’s it? That’s _ it _ ?! What do you mean that’s it? I kissed Azumi! I’ve known her for _ centuries _! And I kissed her!”

“Well, what happened after that?”

Moira flushed. “What do you think happened? I ran!”

Kagome sighed, deep and long suffering. “Did you mean to kiss her? Do you want to kiss her again?”

“I - I -”

Kagome folded her arms. "Do you regret kissing her or do you regret running?"

Moira stared at her, silent. 

Kagome plopped onto her couch, waiting for Moira to answer. Maybe if Moira had waited until after Kagome ate her dinner she would feel a little more helpful. As it was, her stomach growled unhappily at the delay, and she decided she may as well enjoy her friend’s discomfort. 

Moira didn’t move, just stared at her, blinking big green eyes. 

Another knock sounded on her door. Kagome gave Moira a sharp look. "Did you bring anyone with you?"

Moira shook her head, staring at her.

Kagome heaved herself up with a groan. They knocked again.

“I’m coming!” Kagome yelled.

She shuffled to the door, stockinged feet sliding on the wooden floors. When she opened her door a stunning man with golden hair and bright blue eyes stood in the hall, holding a bouquet of pink and white lilies. He smiled when he saw her, teeth white as pearls and canines far too sharp.

“Higurashi Kagome?”

Kagome raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

The man straightened. “A gift, my lady, from Lord Henry. He wished to make his admiration known and introduce himself."

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Lord Henry, Prince of Britannia," Moira answered from behind her.

The golden haired man bowed to Moira then again to Kagome before retreating back down the hall. Kagome watched him go, realizing he was the nicest dressed delivery man she'd ever seen: full suit, complete with navy tie. His golden curls bounced slightly as he strolled down the hall, gleaming in the fluorescent lights. When he was finally gone, Kagome closed her apartment door, turning to Moira.

"Who is Lord Henry?"

"The Prince of Britannia," Moira repeated unhelpfully.

Kagome glared at her.

Moira sighed. "There are t'ree Fae princes in the UK," she explained. "The Prince of Britannia, the Prince of Caledonia, and the Prince of Wales. Out of t’ose t'ree, Lord Jamie of Caledonia is the nicest. He's some sor' of horse Fae, possibly a unicorn but I'm no' sure. You'd like his mate, Lady Claire. Stories say she's a time traveler, too, and she’s human."

"He's not the one who sent flowers," Kagome interrupted, taking the beautiful lilies to the kitchen to find a vase.

Moira followed her. "I'm gettin’ to tha'," she promised. "Th' second is Lord Arthur. He's dragon Fae along wit' his wife, Lady Gwen. Again, very nice people and good rulers. Th' legend of King Arthur is based on them."

Kagome pulled out a crystal vase she commandeered from her mother last time she visited the Shrine, filling it with water and flowers while she listened to Moira speak. When the Selkie hesitated after the second prince, Kagome set the vase with its flowers on the counter and turned on her friend, arms folded across her chest. "Tell me."

Moira sighed. "Lord Henry is a very handsome lion Fae who loves music, art, food, drinkin’, and beautiful women. He's also actively lookin' for a way to take over all th' United Kingdom." Moira eyed the flowers sitting innocently in their vase. "Courtin’ and marryin’ you would give him a hell of a leg up. He's also been in some sort of pissin’ match with yer _ dai-youkai _ for th' better part of two centuries. Stealin' you from right under his nose would be a power play for th' ages."

Kagome blinked at her. “How do you know all this?”

Moira rubbed the back of her neck. “My da serves the King Beneath the Waves, th' great sea drake who rules the ocean fae. We Selkie are 'is go-betweens for th' land powers. I’ve been to all th' land Courts. Like I said, Lord Jamie and Lord Arthur are good people. Lord Henry, not so much.” Moira frowned at the lilies. “Though, come to think of, this could be a good push for the _ dai-youkai _ to get his ass in gear.”

Something sparked in Kagome’s chest. "Really?"

"Oh no," Moira protested, "no. Tha's a dangerous game. Lord Henry is vicious when denied. Do _ not _ go playin' wit' fire."

“I have no intention of encouraging him.” Kagome waved her off. "I just thought to mention the flowers next time I see Sesshomaru."

Moira's eyebrow rose. "Well, well. Who knew the Shikon Miko was so devious?"


End file.
